Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop is challenging Americans to change their bad habits and focus on exercise and healthy eating. He will be bringing his campaign to Iowans when he speaks at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium Thursday evening.

His speech will coincide with the release of the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health in Washington D.C.

“In Iowa, our exercise rates are far below the national average,” ISU professor Elisabeth Schafer said.

Schafer, who works in food science and human nutrition, said the lack of exercise by Iowans is a real concern.

“The climate may work against us,” she said, “but I don’t have any data to support that.” Schafer said that in the winters, “how do you get out and exercise?”

According to a report from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), about 24 percent of Iowa citizens 18 and older participated in regular physical activity.

“In Iowa, we have a lower percentage of people eating five-a-day,” Schafer said. In many health reports, a healthy lifestyle includes eating five fruits and vegetables a day and regular exercise.

McFarland Clinic, P.C., is trying to bring exercise and healthy eating to the minds of groups and organizations in Story County, said Doreen Chamberlin, special programs coordinator at McFarland Clinic.

She said the five plus five program has about 28 organizations and businesses involved with meeting goals for a healthier lifestyle.

“We want them [people] to reach their own goals,” Chamberlin said. “There is no competition as far as weight loss is concerned.”

Koop helps boost and motivate communities to exercise through his Shape Up America program, Chamberlin said.

Kim Sporrer, affiliate program director for the American Heart Association in Des Moines, said “it’s perfect timing that he’s coming to speak.”

In a press release from the AHA, the organization applauds the report being issued by the Surgeon General.

“AHA is one of the leaders behind the physical activity initiative,” Sporrer said.

In 1992, AHA released the first scientific consensus statement on the role of physical activity in preventing heart and blood vessel disease. The statement also listed physical inactivity as a cardiovascular disease risk factor.

“To benefit the heart, an individual does not have to be a triathlete,” said Dr. David Gutterman, president of the Iowa Affiliate of AHA. “Physical activity is a basic fundamental for normal, healthy living.”

Even though Iowans are well below the exercise rate nationally, Chamberlin said she expects C.Y. Stephens to reach capacity. McFarland Clinic has rented Fisher Theater and video screens so everyone has a chance to listen and learn.

Schafer said often it is the people who need help the least who show up to such presentations. She said she hopes Koop can make a difference with his speech in Ames.

The former Surgeon General will speak July 11 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Admission is free.